Unsung Heroes
James Armistead Lafayette
“The most important Revolutionary War spy”
James Armistead was born into slavery around 1748 in New Kent, Virginia. James’ owner, William Armistead granted him permission to join the Revolutionary War cause. In 1781 James enlisted in the War under General Marquis de Lafayette. Black men free and enslaved fought in the War. James was a double agent. General Lafayette needed intelligence of enemy movements, so he sent James as a spy.
Posing as a runaway slave, James joined the camp of turncoat Benedict Arnold and General Cornwallis. By pretending to be a spy for them, James was able to gain Benedict Arnold’s trust. He learned details of British operations, and delivered the information to General Lafayette. He gave false information to Benedict Arnold.
With intelligence from James Armistead, General Lafayette and George Washington were able to stop British troops at Yorktown, Virginia. Lafayette and Washington’s victory of Yorktown, crippled the British military. The British surrendered on October 19, 1781.
After the War, James Armistead was returned to his owner William Armisted. Even though Virginia passed the manumission act in 1782, freeing all slaves that fought in the war, James technically didn’t fight, he was a spy. He was forced to go back to life as a slave. James petitioned the Virginia assembly for his freedom. General Marquis de Lafayette testified on his behalf. In 1787 James Armistead was granted his freedom. He renamed himself James Armistead Lafayette in the General’s honor. James was also granted $40 annual pension by the Virginia legislature. James Armistead Lafayette bought 40 acres of land in New Kent, VA and worked as a farmer. He married and raised many kids with his wife. James Armistead Lafayette passed away in 1832.
Ann Lowe
“Society’s best kept secret”
Ann Lowe was the first Black person to become a noted fashion designer. Ann was Born in Clayton, Alabama in 1898. Both her mother and grandmother were seamstresses. Watching them work first sparked Ann’s interest in fashion. In 1917 Ann moved to New York and enrolled in design school, because the school was segregated she had to attend class alone.
After graduating, Ann opened a successful dress shop in Florida. She eventually moved back to New York, where she worked commission for Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel, and Neiman Marcus. In 1946 Olivia de Havilland wore Ann Lowe’s dress, when she accepted the academy award for best actress. Ann did not receive credit for her work, this prompted her to open a second dress shop in New York called “Ann Lowe’s Gowns”
In 1953 Ann designed the wedding dress that Jacquelin Bouvier wore, when she married John F. Kennedy. While the wedding was highly publicized as the the social event of the season, Ann did not receive public credit for her work. Ann continued to make beautiful gowns for the members of high society, who often talked her into lowering her prices. Struggling to pay her staff and other bills, Ann lost her shop in 1962. That same year she had her right eye removed due to glaucoma. Soon after an anonymous friend paid all her bills, and after recovering from surgery, Ann reopened her store in 1968.
Ann Lowe was married twice, she had two kids. Her first husband wanted her to give up working. For awhile she did. When she decided to go back to work, she left her husband. Ann says her second husband “left me. He said he wanted a real wife, not one who was forever jumping out of bed to sketch dresses." Her son Aurthur helped her in her stores. When Ann retired she moved in with her daughter Ruth. Ann died in her daughters home in 1981.
There is so much to the story of Ann Lowe. She didn’t always get credit for her work, she wasn’t always paid a fair rate, but she never gave up. She became one of the best designers of her time, and her work will be remembered.
Bass Reeves
“The Real Lone Ranger”
Bass Reeves was born into slavery in 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas. When the Civil war broke out Bass was taken into battle on the side of the confederacy. All that is known about Bass’ escape is that he severely beat his owner and fled to Indian Territory. He lived with Cherokee, Creeks and Seminoles and learned their languages, customs, tracking skills, and became a skilled gunslinger.
Once freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, Bass moved back to Arkansas, where he worked as a farmer and rancher. In 1875 new U.S. Marshal James F. Fagan appointed 200 new deputy marshals. Fagan heard about Bass’ knowledge of Indian Territory, and his ability to speak several Indian languages. Fagan recruited Bass, and he became the first Black deputy to serve West of the Mississippi River.
As a supreme marksman, with top notch detective skills, Bass Reeves became famous amongst criminals for his relentless pursuit. He brought in some of the most dangerous criminals of the time, he also hunted and arrested many white men for hate crimes and lynchings.
Despite not being able to read or write, whenever anyone asked to see a warrant he always produced the right on. He memorized each warrant, after having it read to him. Reeves often dressed in disguise to get close to criminals. Despite getting into shootouts where his hat and belt were shot off, Bass Reeves was never injured. Local papers wrote about his hunts, and he gained a reputation amongst civilians as “the most successful marshal that rides”
In 1907, Oklahoma gained statehood. Under new state law a Black man could not have such a high rank. Bass Reeves, the legendary lawman was removed from his position as deputy marshal. He died three years later. There are many similarities between Reeves and the Lone Ranger, it is believed that he was the inspiration for the character. It was reported that “Reeves was never known to show the slightest excitement, under any circumstance. He does not know what fear is.” In this way, his life was far more exciting, and dangerous than the fictional character.
Eunice Carter
“The Black Woman that took down the mob’
Eunice Carter was born July 16, 1899 in Atlanta, Georgia. During the Atlanta race riots her family’s home was destroyed. After witnessing such violence Eunice vowed to put bad people in jail. Eunice earned a bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Smith College. She went on to study law at Fordham University. In 1933 she passed the New York bar exam.
In 1935 Thomas Dewey was appointed Special Prosecutor to takedown the New York mafia. Dewey hired 20 lawyers, 19 white men, and Eunice Carter. The guys took on kidnapping, loansharking, murder, and number running. Because Eunice was a woman, she was assigned to “womens court” which dealt primarily with prostitution.
While working in “womens court” she noticed that the women arrested for prostitution, from all over the city of New York, were represented by the same lawyers and bail bondsmen. Those lawyers and bail bondsmen were connected to Lucky Luciano. Eunice brought this information to Thomas Dewey. She built a case that led to raids of New York City brothels. Together Dewey and Eunice discovered that in exchange for posting bail and providing legal services, Lucky Luciano got kickbacks from prostitutes. This proved that Lucky Luciano was making money from prostitution.
When the case went to trial Eunice was not allowed to argue in court. Thomas Dewey argued the case, and was assisted by other white male attorneys. Eunice merely watched. It was Eunice’s find, that got Lucky Luciano convicted. This conviction was considered "a land-mark in legal history as it was the first against a major organized crime figure for anything other than tax evasion."
Thomas Dewey and the other white male attorneys benefited from the success of the trial. Meanwhile, Eunice earned far less than her male peers, and was constantly passed over for judicial appointments. She eventually left the prosecutor’s office, and went on to open her own private law office. Eunice married Lisle Carter Sr, one of the first Black dentists in New York. Together they had one son Lisle Carter Jr.
Uncle Nearest
“Godfather of Tennessee Whiskey”
Uncle Nearest was the first known, Black Master Distiller. As a slave, his master sent him to work for Dan Call, a preacher, grocer, and distiller who called Uncle Nearest “the best whiskey maker that I know of” Uncle Nearest specialized in making whiskey taste especially smooth. This process is known as sugar maple charcoal filtering. Many slaves were already using charcoal to purify their water and foods, a filtering process traced back to West Africa.
Sometime in the 1850’s a young boy came to work on Dan Call’s farm, he was interested in whiskey. Mr. Call saw promise in the boy and introduced him to Uncle Nearest. Call instructed Nearest to teach this boy everything he knew about distilling, including the sugar maple charcoal filtering. “Now, the important thing to know about this special process Nearest taught is the only difference between bourbon and Tennessee whiskey is this special filtration. So, what Nearest was teaching the young boy to do was make Tennessee Whiskey.” The boys name was Jack Daniels.
Jack Daniels continued to learn from Uncle Nearest, and eventually began selling his whiskey in towns near Lynchburg and to soldiers during the war. This special whiskey was a big hit! After Emancipation, Uncle Nearest continued working for Dan Call. By then, Jack Daniels made enough money selling Tennessee Whiskey, that he bought Dan Calls distillery and renamed it Jack Daniels. He hired Uncle Nearest as his first Master Distiller.
Locals knew the story of Uncle Nearest, but the rest of the world didn’t know until recently. A woman named Fawn Weaver uncovered the story of Uncle Nearest, and honored his legacy by distilling whiskey using his filtration method in his name. Weaver is the Co- Founder, CEO, and Chief Historian of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. Check out @unclenearest for more details of this amazing whiskey.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
“The Godmother of Rock ‘N’ Roll”
Sister Tharpe was born Rosetta Nubin, in Cotton Plant Arkansas March 20, 1915. Sister Tharpe came from a family of singers, when she was a little girl, her mother encouraged her to sing. At just four years old, Sister Tharpe was singing and playing guitar. She was a musical prodigy. When Sister turned six she started touring with her mother and their evangelical troupe.
In 1938 Sister Tharpe moved to New York, and recorded for the first time for Deca Records. Sister Tharpe’s signature style was a fusion of Delta Blues, New Orleans Jazz, and gospel.
Her music “crossed the line between sacred and secular by performing her music of "light" in the "darkness" of nightclubs and concert halls with big bands behind her, Tharpe pushed spiritual music into the mainstream”
Although her unconventional style attracted many fans, a Black female guitarist was uncommon in the 1930’s. Sister Tharpe was often given the backhanded compliment that she could “play like a man” to which she replied “I play better than a man”
Sister Tharpe influenced many of the top male Rock N Roll musicians that we know today including Johnny Cash, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis. In the 1950’s Sister Tharpe’s career took a downward turn, when more and more young white men took over the Rock N Roll scene, and experimented with Sister Tharpe’s signature style.
Sister Tharpe reached a new generation of fans, when she toured Europe in the 1960’s alongside Muddy Waters and other Black musicians. She gave her most famous performance at a train station in Manchester. She performed in the pouring rain, on the train platform, the audience sat on the opposite platform. Sister Tharpe passed away October 9, 197. She was inducted in the Rock N Roll hall of fame in 2018 as an early influencer.
I AM A MAN
On February 1, 1968 Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were crushed to death by a malfunctioning garbage compactor. Three years prior, two other men lost their lives the same way. The city of Memphis refused to replace the defective equipment. The majority of sanitation workers were Black men, because of Jim Crow and a police force that consisted primarily of members of the KKK, they were afraid to organize. So, they dealt with the low wages, unpaid overtime, lack of job security and safety.
On February 12,1968 1,300 Black sanitation workers did not show up for work. They went on strike demanding recognition of their union, fair pay, and safer working conditions. Many of the men were assaulted by police, but that didn’t stop them. Reverend James Lawson spoke to the men, he said "For at the heart of racism is the idea that a man is not a man, that a person is not a person. You are human beings. You are men. You deserve dignity." After this speech the workers carried signs that said “I AM A MAN”
On March 18, 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr arrived in Memphis to speak to the workers. He encouraged them to keep going, and pledged that he himself would return. Dr. King kept his promise. On April 3, 1968 he returned to speak to the sanitation workers, delivering his famous “Mountaintop” speech. The very next day Dr. King was assassinated.
On April 8, 1968 42,000 people led by Coretta Scott King, the Black sanitation workers, and union leaders marched peacefully in Memphis in honor of Dr. King. They demanded to be recognized as a union. The city of Memphis finally gave in and agreed to negotiate. On April 16, 1968 they agreed to better pay and working conditions.
Their victory had a powerful impact on the fight for labor rights and the civil rights movement. The pose I chose for this post, salamba sirsasana is known as the “King” of all asanas (postures). I chose this pose because, for what these men did, what they accomplished, they should be recognized not just as men, but as Kings.
Althea Gibson
Althea Gibson was born August 25, 1927 in Clarendon County, South Carolina. Her parents moved to Harlem during the depression. Althea began playing paddle tennis at the police athletic league. At age thirteen she dropped out of school, in fear of her father’s violent behavior, Althea moved to a shelter for abused children.
In 1940 a group of people from her neighborhood took up a collection, to pay for a junior membership and tennis lessons at the Cosmopolitan tennis club in Sugar Hill. In 1941 she entered the ATA (American Tennis Association) New York championship and won. She went on to play in USTA (United States Tennis Association) becoming the first Black woman and Second Black Athlete to compete in USTA’s indoor championship.
While Althea’s reputation and win record grew, she was still excluded from competing in premier American tournaments. Even though USTA rules prohibit racial discrimination, the qualifying tournaments were held at many white- only clubs, which Althea was not allowed. Still, she didn’t give up. Althea became the first Black person invited to compete in the US Nationals. Althea played against the reigning champ Louise Brough in a rain delayed match. The audience chanted “Beat the nigger. Beat the nigger” Althea lost the match. Still, her participation alone gained national coverage.
In 1956 Althea became the first Black person to win a Grand Slam. She went on to win Wimbledon doubles. In 1957 she became the first Black person to win Wimbledon singles. Athea returned home to compete against Louise Brough again. She defeated Brough in straight sets, winning her first US National championship. Althea continued winning all over the world. She said "I knew that I was an unusual, talented girl, through the grace of God I didn't need to prove that to myself. I only wanted to prove it to my opponents." Althea Gibson passed away September 28, 2003.
"Her accomplishments set the stage for my success, and through players like myself and Serena and many others to come, her legacy will live on." - Venus Williams
Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable
“Founder of Chicago”
Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable was a Black pioneer and a wealthy trader. Though his greatest achievement, many of us don’t know. Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable founded the settlement that later became known as the city of Chicago. Little is known about Jean Baptiste’s life before 1770. What we do know is that he was born in Haiti. His father was a French mariner and his mother, a Black woman was a Haitian slave.
Jean Baptiste was born free. He was educated in France. In the 1770’s he sailed back to America and married a Native American woman named Catherine. They had two children together, a son named Jean and a daughter Susanne. Jean Baptiste and his wife Catherine settled along the northern bank of the Chicago River, near Lake Michigan. There he developed a prosperous trading post serving Native Americans, British, and French explorers. Jean Baptiste spoke French, English, Spanish, and many Native American dialects, which served him well in business.
Journal entries of men who traded with him described Jean Baptiste as “a large man and wealthy trader.” Others described him as "a handsome negro” and “well educated" In 1800 Jean Baptiste sold his home and moved to Missouri, where he was commissioned to operate a ferry across the Missouri River. Jean Baptiste died August 28, 1818. He was buried in an unmarked grave in St. Charles Borromeo Cemetery. His entry in the burial registery just reads “negre” which is French for negro.
A story such as his deserves to be remembered. Against all odds he lived a prosperous life, provided for his family, and he founded the city so many of us love and live today. I went to college in Chicago, all the time I was there, I never knew that this great city was founded by a Black man.
C.R. Patterson & Sons
Last year my family came to New York to celebrate Christmas with me in my new home. One day we all got on the train to go to the MET. On the train we saw an older Black man with a really cool cane. This man started talking to us, telling us all about his life in Brooklyn back in the day. Then, he asked where we were from. We told him we were from Detroit. He said “then you know Patterson” we didn’t know what he was talking about. He said “Yeah. Patterson, a Black man, he made cars before Henry Ford. Matter fact till this day, Patterson was the first and only Black owned car company”
Charles Richard Patterson was born into slavery in 1833, on a plantation in Virginia. Just before the Civil War, C.R. Patterson escaped and headed north. He settled in Greenfield, Ohio and began working at a carriage company. By 1870 he was promoted to foreman. In 1873 he went into business with a white man named J.P. Lowe. Together they made 28 different buggies. Ten years later J.P. Lowe died, and Patterson became the sole owner.
In 1883 Patterson’s sons Fredrick Douglas Patterson and Samuel Patterson began to help their dad, they were both natural mechanics. The business was renamed C.R. Patterson and Sons. When Samuel and C.R. Patterson died. Fredrick took over the business and converted the company to manufacture automobiles. It is said that “the first car off the line was superior to Henry Ford’s Model T.” They produced over 150 vehicles. The company struggled getting financing for expansion, so they went back to their bread and butter which was producing trucks and buses.
When the depression hit, many of Patteson’s customers cut back on ordering new buses and trucks. Fredrick Douglas Patterson died in 1932. His son Postell Patterson closed the business in 1939. What if Fredrick Douglas Patterson got the funding he needed to expand the company? Where would we be today? What would that do for representation in the auto industry, would that inspire Black kids to become engineers? What if we supported more Black owned businesses?
Benjamin “Pap” Singleton
Pap was born into slavery in 1809, in Davidson County, Tennessee. At a young age he made several attempts to runaway, but was unsuccessful until 1846. Through the Underground Railroad he escaped north to Canada. He eventually relocated to Detroit, Michigan where he helped others escape from slavery.
In 1862 the Union Army occupied the middle of Tennessee. Believing that life would be different amongst Union soldiers, Pap moved back Nashville. He soon discovered that even freed Black men suffered from racism. After the war the Ku Klux Klan emerged to spread hatred and fear, and the share cropping system for Black farmers basically re- enslaved them. These experiences led Pap to believe that Black people could not live happily and equally in the south. He partnered with Black minister Columbus M. Johnson, together they established Edgefield Real Estate Association.
Pap found land in Kansas, where he could establish a colony where Black people could live free and be economically independent. Between 1877- 1879 over 300 Black people traveled with Pap to Kansas, to what they called “Singleton’s Colony” between 1879- 1880 over 20,000 Black people known as “Exodusters” traveled to Singleton’s Colony, they had no money or resources, all they had was hope for a better life in a new Black colony. When whites in Kansas objected the Exodusters, Pap stood up for them. They struggled for a long while, but many got on their feet.
Pap believed that if Black people came together and combined their resources they could build many Black owned businesses. In 1881 many of the members in the Black owned business venture pulled out and plans fell through. Pap then believed that if Black people relocated to Sierra Leone and Liberia, then we could truly be free. Unfortunately, those efforts fell through as well, but he never gave up on his goals to provide a better life for his people. Even when Paps health declined, he continued to support Black owned real estate. Pap died in February 17, 1900.
Zelda Wynn Valdes
Zelda was a fashion designer to the stars of Black entertainment. It is said that she could fit a dress to anybody of any size just by looking at the client. Zelda got her start as a seamstress. At the height of Jim Crow Black seamstresses earned extremely low wages, while white male couturiers were paid more. For Zelda, sewing was inspired by her work as a classical pianist.
In the early 1920’s Zelda got a job at a fancy dress shop. She was hired to work in the stockroom, but she eventually shined as a seamstress. She explained “It wasn’t a pleasant time. But the idea was to see what I could do.” She quickly gained a reputation as a creative seamstress with a sharp artistic eye, with that kind of clout she opened her own luxury boutique. In her boutique she made elegant gowns for women of all sizes, as well as bridal gowns.
Zelda organized fashion shows for Black members of high society. Nat King Cole, Sugar Ray Robinson, Marian Anderson,Dorothy Dandridge, Josephine Baker, Eartha Kitt, Ella Fitzgerald, Ruby Dee, Diahann Carroll, Mae West and Marlene Dietrich were among her clientele. Hugh Hefner noticed Zelda’s ability to make women look glamorous. Hugh Hefner asked Zelda to make to make the costumes for the Playboy Playmates. Zelda created the original Playboy Bunny costume.
In the 1960’s Zelda directed the Fashion and Design workshop of the Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited and Associated Community Team. She was also one of the founders of the National Association of Fashion Accessory Designers. Her work with these organizations was to promote and support Black designers.
In 1970 Zelda began designing for Dance Theatre of Harlem, where "She did away with the traditional pink tights of ballet … all the dancers wore tights that were dyed to match their skin tone, The tradition in ballet is everybody’s supposed to be the same hue, but they celebrated all the different colors of their dancers, which was part of a new aesthetic that championed for diversity." Zelda passed away September 26, 2001.
Bayard Rustin
Bayard Rustin was born March 17, 1912 in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He was raised by his grandparents Julia and Janifer Rustin. Julia was a Quaker and member of the NAACP. Leaders of the NAACP such as W.E.B. DuBois and James Weldon Johnson were regular guests in the Rustin home. In 1932 Bayard attended Wilberforce University, in 1936 he organized a strike, which led to his expulsion. Bayard went on to study at Cheyney University.
In 1937 he moved to Harlem and became a member of the Friends Quaker group. Bayard’s philosophy combined Quaker pacifism with Ghandi’s nonviolent resistance. In 1941 Bayard along with two other men met with President Roosevelt to discuss desegregating the armed forces. They proposed a March on Washington if it wasn’t done. In 1948 the armed forces were desegregated, thanks to their work. Bayard also traveled to California to support and protect Japanese Americans that were imprisoned in internment camps.
In the 1950’s Bayard met a young civil rights leader named Martin Luther King Jr. Bayard taught Dr. King Ghandi’s philosophy, nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience. Bayard helped Dr. King organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In 1953 Bayard was caught having sex with another man in car. He was arrested and charged with sexual perversion, this made it public that Bayard was gay. Despite Dr. Kings support of Bayard continuing his work with the March Washington, some civil rights leaders felt that Bayard’s sexual orientation would hurt the movement, because of this Bayard continued his work behind the scenes.
Bayard worked to strengthen the labor movement by supporting labor unions, and empowering Black people to organize. Bayard founded and became the head of the AFL- CIO’s APRI which formed an alliance between the civil rights movement and the labor movement. Bayard stood up for gay rights, and testified on behalf of New York States Gay Rights Bill. Bayard Rustin passed away August 24, 1987.
Matthew Henson
“The first man to stand on top of the world”
Matthew Henson was born August 8,1866 in Charles County, Maryland. At age 10 Matthew heard a speech given Frederick Douglas encouraging Black people to invest in their education and stand up against racism. The very next year, Matthew left home to go his own way. He found work as a cabin boy on a ship. The Captain took Matthew under his wing and taught him to be a seaman. On the ship Matthew saw much of the world including Africa, Asia, and Europe. In 1884 the Captain died. Matthew headed back to Washington, D.C., and found work as a clerk in a hat shop.
In 1887, while working at the hat shop Matthew met Robert Edwin Peary, an explorer and officer in the U.S. Navy Corps of Civil Engineers. Peary was so impressed with Matthew’s credentials, he hired Matthew as his valet for his upcoming expedition to Nicaragua. Matthew joined Peary again on an expedition to Greenland. Over the next several years Matthew and Peary made several attempts to reach the North Pole. Though they managed to go a little further with each trip, the journey was brutal.
On their final trip to the North Pole Matthew’s experience and expertise was invaluable, he built sledges and trained the men. Matthew also rode ahead of the group to scout. By his account “I was in the lead that had overshot the mark a couple of miles. We went back then and I could see that my footprints were the first at the spot” Being in the lead Matthew reached the North Pole first.
When they returned Peary received many accolades. Even though Matthew’s footprints were actually the first on the North Pole, his work was largely overlooked. In 1909 many dinners were organized in the Black community in Matthew’s honor. In 1912, Matthew wrote a book “A Negro Explorer at the North Pole” recordings of his journey in the Artic. Matthew went on to work as a clerk in a New York federal customs house. In 1937 Matthew was accepted as an honorary member of the Explorers Club in New York. Matthew passed away March 9, 1955.
Baby Esther “The real Betty Boop”
Baby Esther was born Esther Lee Jones sometime around 1919 in Chicago, Illinois. Esther lived with her mother and father in Chicago, where she began performing at a young age. At just 4yrs old theatrical manager Lou Bolton saw her perform, and went on to book Esther for engagements in Detroit, Chicago, New York, Toronto, and then Europe. She got her name Baby Esther from her “baby” like singing voice. Esther was a scat singer known for phrases like phrases like “Boop-oop-a-doop”
In 1928 Baby Esther performed at a nightclub called Everglades Club. Helen Kane sat in the front row with Tony Shayne who was both Helens and Baby Esther’s booking agent. After seeing Esther perform, Helen Kane copied her scat sound and turned Esther’s “Boop-pop-a-soon” to “poop poop a doop” Helen performed the scat sound on broadway and became a big hit.
Helen Kane went on recording using the scat sound.
Baby Esther recorded several songs, before touring Europe. Her first stop in Europe was the Moulin Rouge in Paris, where she was referred to as a “miniature Josephine Baker” In 1929 Baby Esther became the highest paid child star in the world. In 1932 Betty Boop was created at Fleischer Studios. Helen Kane filed a $250,000 lawsuit against Fleischer for “exploiting her image” Helen Kane argued that Betty Boops image and “Boop-oop-a-doop” scat singing appropriated her act, which was “unfair competition.” Lou Bolton testified that in 1928 Helen Kane along with her booking agent saw Baby Esther perform, and soon after Helen adapted the scat singing into her act.
After a two year legal battle a judge ruled against Helen Kane as he believed she did not originate the scar sound. By then Baby Esther returned to America, a little older now, she couldn’t find featured roles like she did as a child star, she did find work as a background dancer in Cab Calloway’s orchestra. In 1934 Baby Esther disappeared, it is believed that she passed away.
Charles Hamilton Houston “The Man who Killed Jim Crow”
Charles Hamilton Houston was born September 3, 1895 in Washington, DC. His father, the son of a slave, became a lawyer. His mother was a seamstress. In 1911 Charles entered Amherst College. In 1915 he graduated from Amherst. He was valedictorian, and the only Black student in his class.
Charles served in WWI. He was an officer in the army, from 1917- 1919 he served as a first Lieutenant. Charles said this if his experience in the armed forces “The hate and scorn showered on us Negro officers by our fellow Americans convinced me that there was no sense in my dying for a world ruled by them. I made up my mind that if I got through this war I would study law and use my time fighting for men who could not strike back.” In 1919 Charles entered Harvard Law School, earning his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1922, that same year he became the first Black person to serve as editor of the Harvard Law Review.
In 1923 he earned his Doctor of Laws degree. He later joined the faculty at Howard Law School where he mentored Thurgood Marshall. He also served as special counsel for the NAACP, where he was involved in the majority of the civil rights cases. Houston believed that unequal education was the “Achilles heel” of Jim Crow. “By demonstrating the failure of states to even try to live up to the 1896 rule of “separate but equal,” Houston hoped to finally overturn the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling that had given birth to that phrase.
He complied evidence proving that “Southern states collectively spent less than half of what was allotted for white students on education for blacks” his mentee Thurgood Marshall served as chief attorney. On May 17, 1954 we won. Charles passed away April 22, 1950. His work on civil rights cases earned him the title “The man that killed Jim Crow”
Earl “Snakehips” Tucker
Earl Tucker got the name “Snakehips” from the dance he popularized called the “snakehips”. Snakehips was born August 14, 1906 in Baltimore Maryland. Very little is known about his life, it is believed that he moved to New York at a young age. By the mid 1920’s he had perfected his signature dance and performed regularly at Connie’s Inn and the Savoy Ballroom, he also performed at The Cotton Club. He was most known for his work with Duke Ellington, who often brought Snakehips on stage to accompany his music.
In 1930 he appeared in a 16 minute short film “Crazy House” In 1935 Snakehips performed in another short film titled “Symphony in Black: A Rhapsody of Negro Life”
In 1934 Zora Neale Hurston wrote of Snakehips in her essay “Characteristics of Negro Expression” She wrote “Negro dancing is dynamic suggestion. No matter how violent it may appear to the beholder, every posture gives the impression that the dancer will do much more.” She went on “lack of symmetry that makes Negro dancing so difficult for white dancers to learn.”
Snakehips was Snakehips before Elvis, he kicked before Michael Jackson. His signature dancing style influenced some Hip- Hop dancers as well. Snakehips passed away May 14, 1937 when he was just 31. The cause of death was “mysterious illness”.
Victor Hugo Green
Victor Hugo Green developed and wrote the “Negro Motorist Green Book” a travelors guide for Black people, to navigate through the Jim Crow laws of a segregated United States. The Green Book included information such as the locations of gas stations, restaurants, and lodgings that were open to Black people. Victor Hugo was born November 9, 1892 in Manhattan, New York. He was named after the French author Victor Hugo. His family later moved to Hackensack, New Jersey. In 1913 Victor started working for as a postal carrier for the US Postal service.
In 1889 Victor married Alma S. Duke. The couple moved to Harlem. Victor continued to work for the US Postal Service until he was drafted in WWI. When Victor returned home from the war. He noticed that as Black people began to advance on every level, we were still restricted in many ways by racial segregation in the United States. He thought to do something about this. He collected information about hotels, restaurants, and gas stations that served Black people, and when there were no hotels or motels that allowed us, he listed “tourists homes” where people rented rooms in their homes for travelers.
“The Green Book” was published from 1936- 1966. In the introduction he wrote “There will be a day sometime in the near future when this guide will not have to be published. That is when we as a race will have equal rights and privileges in the United States.” Victor Green passes away in 1960.
Arturo Alfonso Schomburg
The first person I met in college became my good friend. We were both fascinated with how much we had in common, even though he’s from Chicago and I’m from Detroit. One conversation ended our friendship. He first told me “You’re not like a regular Black girl” I asked what that means. He went on to say he couldn’t date a Black girl because he’d be disowned by his family. I asked “Why would your family disown you” He answered “You know, because you guys don’t have a culture, or a history, you don’t come from anywhere”
Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was born in 1874, in Puerto Rico. His mother Mary was a Black woman, his father a Puerto Rican man. Alfonso’s life changed when his fifth grade teacher told him that Black people had no history, no culture, no heroes, and no accomplishments. Right then he decided he would prove that teacher wrong by finding and documenting all Black people's accomplishments and achievements.
In 1891 Arturo moved to Harlem, New York. He studied Black history, and how it impacted American society. In 1911 Arturo co- founded the Negro Society for Historical Research, which brought together African, West Indian, and Black American scholars for the first time. In 1914 Arturo joined the American Negro Academy, where Black scholars came together to refute racist philosophy and publish the history of Black life.
In 1916 Arturo published the first notable bibliography of Black poetry. In 1925 Arturo published his own essay “The Negro Digs Up His Past” Arturo went on to collect Black Art and document Black history. By 1925 Arturo’s collection included 5,000 books, 3,000 manuscripts, 2,000 etchings, paintings, and papers on Black life. In 1926 the New York Public Library bought his collection for $10,000 and named him head curator.
Today the Schomburg Center at NYPL holds more than 10 million items from Black History. Arturo passed away June 10, 1938. It is said that “If Carter G. Woodson was the father of Black history, then Arturo Schomburg was its curator and guardian”
Annie Malone
Annie Minerva Turnbo’s mother and father were slaves. Her father, Robert went to fight for the Union while her mother escaped with the children. They settled in Southern Illinois, where Annie was born in 1877. In 1896 Annie was sent to live with her older sister Ada. In high school Annie became interested in Chemistry and hair care. She often practiced on her sister. With her knowledge of chemistry and haircare she developed a line of hair care products that catered to Black women.
At the time Black women were using whatever they could get their hands on to wash, style and straighten their hair. Most of the time these harsh soaps and heavy oils damaged their hair. Annie was interested in figuring out a way Black women could straighten their hair without damaging their hair follicles. She created a straightening formula that wasn’t so harsh, she called it “Wonderful Hair Grower” In 1902 Annie moved to St. Louis. She sold her products door to door, and gave away free samples to attract new clients. That same year, she opened her first shop.
In 1903 Annie began working with a woman battling hair loss, dandruff and psoriasis of the scalp. This woman who couldn’t grow hair past her ears was able to grow hair past her shoulders with Annies help. The client's name was Madam C.J. Walker.
Madam C.J. Walker worked for Annie as a sales agent, she soon started selling her own products modeled after Annies, even calling her product “Wonderful Hair Grower” Though the two women were rivals, they both reached great success. In 1910 Annie moved her shop to a larger facility that included a manufacturing plant, beauty college, retail store, offices, 500 seat auditorium, dining/ meeting rooms, bakery, chapel, and a roof garden. The school and franchise business created over 75,000 women in North and South America. By the 1920’s Annie reached multi- millionaire status, still she lived modestly and donated to many Black organizations, Universities, Orphanages. When Annie passed away in 1957 she left her business and fortune to her nieces and nephews.
Buffalo Soldiers
Buffalo Soldiers were all Black soldiers in the United States Army. The all Black Calvary was created in 1866 to help rebuild the country after the Civil War, and to fight on the Western frontier. Many Black men enlisted in hopes that through their service they’d earn equal rights as citizens. The Buffalo Soldiers trained for most of the Winter in 1866. Training was extremely tough, as they had insufficient equipment and dealt with extreme racism. The Buffalo Soldiers’ first commanders were white men who thought they “wouldn’t fight, that they were afraid and that they’d run” many of these commanders left, even if it cost them demotion.
The Buffalo Soldiers proved them wrong, by earned a reputation for being brave and heroic soldiers, with the lowest desertion rate of any unit of the time.
Time and time again they proved their military worth, fighting heroically in the Battle of San Juan Hill, the Battle of El Caney and the Battle of Las Guasimas still, yet they still experienced racial discrimination. The Buffalo Soldiers not only fought in battle, they fought wildfires, captured poachers and thieves, and protected settlers. They were also the first park rangers.
There are many stories about how they got their name “Buffalo Soldiers” some say the nickname was given by Native Americans, because their hair was kinky and curly like the fur of a Buffalo. Wherever it came from the Buffalo Soldiers "considered the name high praise." In 1948, President Harry Truman issued an Executive Order that eliminated racial segregation in the armed forces. The last all-black units were disbanded during the 1950s.
Black Wall Street
Black Wall Street was founded as the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was one of the most prosperous Black communities in the United States. Around the start of the 20th century, a wealthy Black landowner named O.W. Gurley purchased 40 acres of land in Tulsa, Oklahoma naming it Greenwood. His vision was to create something for Black people and by Black people.
One of his first businesses in Greenwood was a rooming house, where Black people could feel safe, free from racial persecution. They could find a better life.
Gurley had a system where he would loan money to Black people that wanted to start a business, soon other Black entrepreneurs followed suit. In 1898 J.B. Stradford a man that was born into slavery, and later became a lawyer, moved to Greenwood. He shared Gurley’s vision. He went on to build the largest Black owned hotel in the country.
In the 1890’s A.J. Smitherman founded the “Tulsa Star” a Black owned newspaper. The newspaper that kept Black people informed of their legal rights, as well as court rulings and legislation that were beneficial or harmful to the community. Greenwood was thriving with its own school system, banks, post office, hospital, law office and dentist office. Greenwood Avenue was filled with shops, restaurants, grocery stores, movie theatres, pool halls, nightclubs, and more. This was a place where prominent Black people and less affluent Black people lived together. Local whites resented the upscale lifestyle that was available to Blacks in Greenwood.
In 1921 a young Black man named Dick Rowland was accused of attempted sexual assault of a young white woman. When he was arrested a group of 25 armed Black men went to the courthouse to guard him, each day more Black men came to support. An angry white mob demanded the sheriff to hand over the young man. When they didn’t get their way, they descended on Greenwood, burning businesses and homes. They shot and killed innocent Black people on the spot. The Tulsa Race Massacre brought an end to Black Wall Street. Imagine where we’d be if Black business was allowed to grow.
Selma Burke
Selma Burke was born December 31, 1900. As a child Selma would mold the soft clay from the riverbanks into small figures. Selma described squeezing the clay between her fingers, as her introduction to sculpture. While her mother thought she should pursue a career that was financially stable, her grandmother, who was a painter encouraged her to pursue her love of sculpture.
Selma studied at Winston-Salem State University.
In 1924 Selma graduated from nursing school, and moved to New York to work as a private nurse. Inspired by the Harlem Renaissance, Selma began to focus more on her art. Selma earned both the Rosenwald and Boehler Foundation Fellowships, allowing her to study with Aristide Maillol and Henri Matisse in Europe. After completing a M.F.A. at Columbia University, Selma began teaching art at the Harlem Community Art Center.
In 1949 she founded the Selma Burke School of Sculpture in New York City. She also opened the Selma Burke Art School in New York, and Selma Burke Art Center in Pittsburgh. Selma’s sculpted portraits of famous Black people such as Duke Ellington and Booker T. Washington. She also captured the emotion and relationships of Black people in everyday life.
In 1943 she competed in a national contest commission for the sculpture of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Selma not only won, her portrait of F.D.R inspired the design of the dime. Chief engraver, John Sinnock denied that he copied Selma’s portrait o F.D.R and was given full credit for the Roosevelt dime. Selma’s response to this was “I'm so mad at that man. This has happened to so many black people. Everybody knows I did it.”
Sherman “Jocko” Maxwell
The first Black sports reporter, and chronicler of Negro league baseball.
Sherman “Jocko” Maxwell was born December 18, 1907 in Newark, New Jersey. He got the nickname “Jocko” when he was teenager. He was watching a baseball game and climbed a tree to catch a fly ball and someone yelled “Hey, look at Jocko.” Jocko the monkey, was a popular performer in movies back then. Jocko fell in love with baseball at a young age. He dreamed of going to school at Panzer College of Physical Education after high school, but the school did not accept Black students. It is said that he intentionally failed his high school finals, to stay in high school another year to play baseball.
At just 22 years old, Jocko began his broadcasting career in 1929. He started with a five minute weekly sports report at a Newark based radio station. In the 1930’s Jocko hosted a program called “Sports Hi Lites” on WHOM. He also hosted a show on WRNY called “Runs, Hits, and Errors” soon Jocko’s shows expanded to include interviews with Negro League Baseball players. In 1938 he joined WWRL, where his show “Five Star Sports Final" became very popular. He later became the station's sports director. Despite his many accomplishments, Jocko was rarely paid by the radio stations where he worked.
Jocko also worked as the public address announcer at Ruppert Stadium for the Negro leagues team the Newark Eagles. He contributed to magazines like Baseball Digest, where he wrote about subjects ranging from the integration of baseball to Jackie Robinson. Bob Kendrick, director of marketing for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum said Jocko was “well known to Negro league players as someone who got the word out and kept records that would otherwise have been lost. He was a significant figure in Negro leagues baseball.”
In 1940 he wrote a book of interviews with players titled “Thrills and Spills in Sports.” 1994 Jocko was inducted into the Newark Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2001, when Jocko was 93 years old he achieved his lifelong dream by visiting the National Baseball Hall of Fame. On July 16, 2008 Jocko passed away.
Rebecca Lee Crumpler
The first Black woman to become a physician in the United States.
(There are no known photos of Rebecca Lee Crumpler. This is a photo of Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first black nurse in the United States)
Rebecca was born in 1831 in Delaware. She was raised by her aunt in Pennsylvania. Rebecca’s aunt acted as a doctor in the community, providing care for the ill, she was also a huge influence for Rebecca. In 1852 Rebecca moved to Charlestown, Massachusetts, and worked as a nurse. In 1860 Rebecca was accepted into The New England Female Medical College.
Many male physicians were opposed to women pursuing a career in medicine. They argued women “lacked the physical strength,” “were too sensitive and delicate in nature,” or were just “incapable of mastering the medical curriculum.” Rebecca became the only Black woman to graduate from The New England Female Medical College. On March 1, 1864, the board of trustees named her a Doctor of Medicine.
Rebecca first practiced medicine in Boston, where she primarily cared for low income/ poor Black women and children. After the Civil War ended, she moved to Richmond Virginia. She believed Richmond was the ideal place to provide missionary work, and learn more about diseases that affected women and children. Rebecca also worked for the Freedman's Bureau for the State of Virginia, providing medical care for freed slaves. Rebecca experienced intense racism and sexism from all sides. Male physicians either ignored her, or taunted that the M.D. behind her name stood for "Mule Driver". R
Rebecca moved to Beacon Hill, a predominantly Black neighborhood in Boston, where she provided medical care for the local families, no matter if they could pay or not. In 1883 Rebecca published “A Book of Medical Discourses” for nurses and mothers. The book, inspired by homeopathy focuses on the health of women and children. Her book was the first medical text by a Black author. Rebecca Lee Crumpler passed away March 9, 1895. “I early conceived a liking for, and sought every opportunity to relieve the sufferings of others.”
- Rebecca Lee Crumpler
Bessie Stringfield "The Motorcycle Queen of Miami"
Bessie Stringfield was the first Black woman to ride solo across the United States. Little is known about Bessie’s birth. She was either born in 1911 or 1913, and either in North Carolina or Kingston, Jamaica. Her parents died when she was 5yrs old. She was adopted and raised by an Irish woman.
At age 16 Bessie taught herself to ride a motorcycle. At age 19 Bessie flipped a penny on a map of the United States, got on her motorcycle and traveled across the US. The year was 1930, when she became the first Black woman to ride a motorcycle through every state. At the time, interstate highways didn’t exist. She rode on rough, unpaved roads. Because she was a Black woman, she often denied accommodation while traveling. She would sleep on her motorcycle at gas stations, or sometimes Black families that she met on her trips welcomed her to stay with them.
By the start of WWII, Bessie worked for the United States government as a civilian motorcycle dispatcher. The only woman in her unit, Bessie rode her blue Harley-Davidson Knucklehead with a military crest attached, to carry documents between US bases. Even then she experienced intense racism. She was once knocked off her bike while riding in the south, by a white man in a pickup truck.
In 1950 Bessie moved to Miami. She was constantly harassed by the police and told "nigger women are not allowed to ride motorcycles" frustrated, Bessie demanded to meet the captain, a white motorcycle cop. He took Bessie to a nearby park and ordered her to perform several difficult motorcycle tricks. She performed each one with ease. From that day on, she never had trouble with the police.
Bessie continued to ride her motorcycle even into her 70’s. She was inducted into the American Motorcycle Hall of Fame, and honored by the American Motorcycle Association with an award in her name. The Bessie Stringfield award recognizes outstanding achievement by a female motorcyclist. Bessie passed away in 1993, she was 82 years old.
Steve Biko
"Father of Black Consciousness"
Steve Biko was born Bantu Stephen Biko on December 18, 1946 in South Africa. His given name “Bantu” means “people” Steve’s father worked as a police officer, then resigned from the police force and began working as a clerk. His mother did domestic work in white households, then worked as a cook in the local hospital. When Steve was 4yrs old, his father passed away and his family became dependent on his mother’s income. Steve witnessed the harsh working conditions his mother endured, this led to his politicisation.
From 1964 to 1965, Steve studied at St. Francis College. The schools liberal and political culture allowed Steve to develop his own political consciousness. He was interested in replacing South Africa’s white minority ruling government with an administration that represented the country's black majority.
In 1966 Steve entered the Natal University Medical School for Blacks, where he got involved with multiracial groups that sought to improve Black rights. The problem with these multiracial groups predominantly led by white liberals is "that the [white] liberal is in fact appeasing his own conscience, or at best is eager to demonstrate his identification with the black people only insofar as it does not sever all ties with his relatives on his side of the colour line."
Steve and other Black members formed their own independent Black student group called The South African Students' Organization. Steve developed the “Black Consciousness” ideology that sought to improve Black rights and access to healthcare, education, economic self- reliance, and to promote, love, trust, and belief in our own humanity dignity. He promoted the Slogan “Black is Beautiful” the government regarded Black Consciousness as a threat. Biko was later arrested. While in police custody Steve Biko died 12 September 1977.
Oluale Kossula
“The last survivor of the final slave ship”
In 1860 a man named Timothy Meaher bet a northern businessman $100,000 that he could smuggle enslaved people to the U.S. from Africa. While slavery was still legal at the time, the international slave trade had been illegal since in 1807. Because of a bet, over a hundred people were taken from their home, and ripped of everything they knew, everything they had, to be sold into slavery.
In the 1930’s famous Black author, Zora Neale Hurston uncovered the story of the last survivor of the last slave ship. She found a man known as Cudjo Lewis, Cudjo was his American name. Kossula was his African name. When Zora Neale Hurston met Kossula, she told him that she wanted to tell his story. She called him by his African name, and it brought him to tears.
Still crying, he said “Thankee Jesus! Somebody come ast about Cudjo! I want tellee somebody who I is, so maybe dey go in de Afficky soil some day and callee my name and somebody dere say, ‘Yeah, I know Kossula.’” Kossula was born in the West African country Benin. At age 19 he was kidnapped by the army of the Dahomey king. Kossula says “I call my mama name. I beg de men to let me go findee my folks. De soldiers say dey got no ears for cryin.” Kossula and over 100 people from Benin and Nigeria were forced to board the slave ship Clotilda.
Kossula was enslaved for five years. After slavery was abolished, Kossula saved money to buy land from his former owner and founded Africatown. Many of the people in Africatown were on the Clotilda. Africatown, was a place where they could be free to practice West African customs and language. Accepted amongst each other, yet they were shunned by Black Americans and White Americans. Zora Neale Hurston told Kossula’s story in his dialect. Prominent Black authors of the time argued that this “played to black caricatures in the minds of white people.” Publishers turned down her manuscript as well. Zora’s book, “Barracoon: The Story of the Last Black Cargo" was finally published in 2018.
Sisters of Suffrage
“Lifting as we climb”
The year 2020 marks the 100 year anniversary of the 19th amendment, that gave women the right to vote. However, the passage of the 19th did not apply to Black women. Additionally, Black women's contributions to the women’s suffrage movement have been largely overlooked, just as racism amongst many white suffragists was overlooked.
The women’s rights movement emerged from the abolitionist movement. The first women suffragist were Black women, who had to fight for both Black rights and women’s rights. White suffragist and abolitionist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Mott met at the Wold Anti- Slavery Convention in 1840. When men voted that women should be denied access, this strengthened their commitment in women’s rights. The two went on to organize the famous Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, which brought together abolitionist and women's rights supporters to “discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman.” No Black women were invited.
Black women played an important role in getting the 15th amendment (giving Black men the right to vote) and the 19th amendment passed. In response to the 15th amendment white suffragist Stanton and Susan B. Anthony referred to Black men as “sambos”, “rapist” and vowed “I will cut off this right arm of mine before I will ever work or demand the ballot for Negro and not the woman.” Facing oppression on both sides, Black women were pulled in two directions.
In 1850 just two years after the Seneca Falls Convention, Harriet Tubman was already a conductor of the Underground Railroad. After the Civil War; Harriet Tubman moved to New York and dedicated the rest of her life campaigning for women’s rights, especially the rights of Black women. Even in old age, she toured the country giving speeches on behalf of women’s suffrage. In 1827 Sojourner Truth escaped slavery with her infant daughter. In 1846 she spoke at the the first National Women's Rights Convention. 1851 she delivered her famous “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech. Throughout her life, she continued to help slaves escape to freedom and fight for women’s rights.
Sisters of Suffrage
“Lifting as we climb”
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was an abolitionist, suffragist, and poet. In 1853 she joined the American Anti-Slavery Society. After the Civil War she became a strong supporter of the women’s suffrage movement. In 1866 she gave a speech at the National Women's Rights Convention, demanding equal rights for all including Black women and she spoke directly to racism within the suffrage movement.
The suffragist movement as a whole failed to realize Black Women’s struggle of having to fight for our race and our gender. When Black suffragists clubs sought to unite with White suffragists, racism within the movement intensified. White suffragists were discouraged from working with Black women as it might anger southern supporters, that were more likely to back White women than Black women.
Ida B. Wells, and Mary Church Terrell became more involved in the suffrage movement. In 1913 organizers of the suffrage parade in Washington demanded that all Black participants march in an all Black assembly in the back of the parade. Mary agreed to march in the Black section as she feared Black women would be left out of the 19th amendment. Ida B. Wells refused. As the parade went on, Ida B. wells emerged from the crowd and joined the parade, marching between two White supporters.
In 1892 Mary and other Black women formed the Colored Women’s League. Another Black woman named Josephine St. Pierre formed the Federation of Afro-American Women. Rivals at first, Mary and Josephine soon realized that their goals were the same, instead of continuing the rivalry they united their groups. This became the National Association of Colored Women. Their motto "Lifting as we climb" promotes self help amongst women, support of other women and the upliftment of all Black people.
With the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, Black women were finally able to vote. “When the ballot is put into the hands of the American woman the world is going to get a correct estimate of the Negro woman. It will find her a tower of strength of which poets have never sung, orators have never spoken, and scholars have never written.” - Marry Church Terrell